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Hope and Experience: Election Reform through the Lens of the AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project
JUNE 29, 2010
Hope and Experience: Election Reform through the Lens of the AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project
We launched the AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project in June 2005 with the encouragement and financial support of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Five years later we bring the project to a close. We take this opportunity to reflect on the state of election administration in the United States almost a decade after the extended and controversial Florida vote count in the 2000 presidential election and suggest how additional changes in technology, election law and administrative practices might further strengthen American elections in the years ahead.
Featured Resources
Under the Voting Rights Act, any state-level change to voter registration rules must be approved by the U.S. Department of Justice. Georgia’s proposed VoteSafe program, designed to keep private the addresses of victims of domestic violence, was approved by the Department of Justice.
The implementation of convenience voting practices like vote-by-mail and early voting raises questions concerning the effect of these changes on turnout. Research based on turnout in California studies the effect of the increasing number of vote-by-mail voters in presidential elections.
This VTP working paper reviews aspects of voting during the 2008 elections: the people involved, the process that took place, and the technological aspects of voting. Hall also discusses the state of voting technology in the U.S. and around the world, and suggests improvements.
This report discusses the results of a post-election audit of Connecticut's memory cards, finding that while all cards used in the election were properly programmed, there is still room for improvement.
Responding to a request regarding the feasibility of adopting a vote-by-mail system in Los Angeles, the City Clerk wrote this memo. In it she discusses the potential impact of this change on voter turnout and the cost of implementing such a program.
Research Projects
Dēmos is a non-partisan public policy research and advocacy organization founded in 2000. A multi-issue national organization, Dēmoscombines research, policy development, and advocacy to influence public debates and catalyze change.
FairVote develops and promotes practical strategies to improve elections at the local, state and national levels.
The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law is a non-partisan public policy and law institute that focuses on fundamental issues of democracy and justice.
Election Law @ Moritz, run through Moritz College of Law at the Ohio State University, contains both explanation and commentary on a wealth of election reform issues from a legal perspective.
Center for Democracy & Election Management was established at the School of Public Affairs at American University in 2002. Their broader goal is to pave the way for and strengthen democracy through improved electoral performance.
The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
www.aei.org
The Brookings Institution
www.brookings.edu
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